Arkansas lightning risk
Pulaski County has the highest lightning risk in Arkansas, scoring 96.8 out of 100 — rated "Very High" by FEMA's National Risk Index. Recorded lightning events across Arkansas have decreased 35% over the past five years compared to the prior five-year period.
| # | County | NRI score | Rating |
NOAA events 2016–2026 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Pulaski County | 96.8 | Very High | 10 |
| 2 | Benton County | 94.6 | Relatively High | 0 |
| 3 | Mississippi County | 94.1 | Relatively High | 0 |
| 4 | Cleburne County | 93.6 | Relatively High | 0 |
| 5 | Sebastian County | 93.2 | Relatively High | 0 |
| 6 | Washington County | 92.9 | Relatively High | 0 |
| 7 | Clark County | 92.2 | Relatively High | 0 |
| 8 | Garland County | 89.6 | Relatively High | 1 |
| 9 | Saline County | 87 | Relatively High | 1 |
| 10 | Jefferson County | 86.4 | Relatively High | 4 |
| 11 | Hot Spring County | 86 | Relatively High | 0 |
| 12 | Yell County | 85.7 | Relatively High | 0 |
| 13 | Newton County | 84.9 | Relatively High | 0 |
| 14 | Craighead County | 84.8 | Relatively High | 1 |
| 15 | Faulkner County | 81.4 | Relatively Moderate | 1 |
| 16 | Baxter County | 81 | Relatively Moderate | 0 |
| 17 | Little River County | 80.9 | Relatively Moderate | 0 |
| 18 | Miller County | 80.7 | Relatively Moderate | 1 |
| 19 | Clay County | 80.2 | Relatively Moderate | 0 |
| 20 | Boone County | 79.4 | Relatively Moderate | 0 |
| 21 | Crawford County | 77.9 | Relatively Moderate | 0 |
| 22 | Greene County | 76.5 | Relatively Moderate | 1 |
| 23 | Johnson County | 76 | Relatively Moderate | 0 |
| 24 | Carroll County | 75.3 | Relatively Moderate | 0 |
| 25 | White County | 74.2 | Relatively Moderate | 1 |
| 26 | Pope County | 70.8 | Relatively Moderate | 1 |
| 27 | Ouachita County | 69.7 | Relatively Moderate | 0 |
| 28 | Sevier County | 69 | Relatively Moderate | 0 |
| 29 | Lonoke County | 67.2 | Relatively Moderate | 4 |
| 30 | Logan County | 66.9 | Relatively Moderate | 0 |
| 31 | Hempstead County | 65 | Relatively Moderate | 2 |
| 32 | Union County | 64.9 | Relatively Moderate | 2 |
| 33 | Conway County | 64.3 | Relatively Moderate | 1 |
| 34 | Franklin County | 64.2 | Relatively Moderate | 0 |
| 35 | Crittenden County | 62.9 | Relatively Moderate | 0 |
| 36 | Marion County | 61.4 | Relatively Moderate | 0 |
| 37 | Independence County | 60.7 | Relatively Moderate | 0 |
| 38 | Columbia County | 59.2 | Relatively Moderate | 1 |
| 39 | Polk County | 58.8 | Relatively Moderate | 0 |
| 40 | Howard County | 56.3 | Relatively Low | 0 |
| 41 | Sharp County | 55.1 | Relatively Low | 0 |
| 42 | Izard County | 53.5 | Relatively Low | 0 |
| 43 | Van Buren County | 52.9 | Relatively Low | 0 |
| 44 | Jackson County | 52.1 | Relatively Low | 0 |
| 45 | Stone County | 51.6 | Relatively Low | 0 |
| 46 | Randolph County | 50.6 | Relatively Low | 1 |
| 47 | Lawrence County | 50 | Relatively Low | 0 |
| 48 | Nevada County | 49 | Relatively Low | 0 |
| 49 | Fulton County | 48.3 | Relatively Low | 0 |
| 50 | St. Francis County | 47.8 | Relatively Low | 1 |
| 51 | Pike County | 46.5 | Relatively Low | 0 |
| 52 | Montgomery County | 44.9 | Relatively Low | 1 |
| 53 | Poinsett County | 43.5 | Relatively Low | 0 |
| 54 | Searcy County | 42.1 | Relatively Low | 0 |
| 55 | Madison County | 41.6 | Relatively Low | 0 |
| 56 | Phillips County | 40.7 | Relatively Low | 0 |
| 57 | Ashley County | 38.4 | Relatively Low | 0 |
| 58 | Bradley County | 36.9 | Relatively Low | 0 |
| 59 | Dallas County | 35 | Relatively Low | 0 |
| 60 | Perry County | 34.3 | Relatively Low | 0 |
| 61 | Drew County | 33.5 | Relatively Low | 0 |
| 62 | Scott County | 31.7 | Relatively Low | 0 |
| 63 | Cross County | 31.4 | Relatively Low | 1 |
| 64 | Arkansas County | 29.6 | Relatively Low | 0 |
| 65 | Grant County | 29.1 | Relatively Low | 1 |
| 66 | Lafayette County | 27.4 | Relatively Low | 0 |
| 67 | Prairie County | 26.7 | Relatively Low | 0 |
| 68 | Cleveland County | 26.5 | Relatively Low | 0 |
| 69 | Chicot County | 25.3 | Relatively Low | 1 |
| 70 | Monroe County | 24.2 | Relatively Low | 0 |
| 71 | Woodruff County | 24.1 | Relatively Low | 0 |
| 72 | Lincoln County | 23.7 | Very Low | 0 |
| 73 | Lee County | 22.8 | Very Low | 0 |
| 74 | Desha County | 19 | Very Low | 0 |
| 75 | Calhoun County | 15.8 | Very Low | 0 |
Source: FEMA National Risk Index v1.20.0, December 2025. Scores are 0–100 percentile rankings among all US counties. See the methodology page for definitions. Download the full CSV for all counties.
Lightning risk nationally:
Other hazard risks in Arkansas:
Frequently asked questions
What is the highest lightning risk county in Arkansas?
Pulaski County, AR has the highest lightning risk in Arkansas, with a FEMA National Risk Index score of 96.8 out of 100 (rated "Very High").
How many counties in Arkansas are rated Very High for lightning risk?
1 of 75 scored Arkansas counties are rated "Very High" for lightning risk by FEMA's National Risk Index.
What causes lightning risk in Arkansas?
Lightning risk reflects expected annual losses from cloud-to-ground strikes, which ignite building fires, damage electrical systems, and cause fatalities. Florida consistently leads the US in lightning density. High scores also appear across the Gulf Coast, Southeast, and central Plains, where afternoon convective storms are most frequent in summer months.